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Protesters fall into Line

The Times business columnist follows the Grand Old Party's grand old party in New York.

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Protesters line up from Wall Street to Madison Square Garden with pink slips to bring attention to the loss of jobs during Bush's presidency.

Robert Trigaux Handcuffing and handicapping, all around the town Protesters fall into Line Gorging at the political buffet It's party time at the Garden Pushing all the right buttons Big Apple lends unique flavor to GOP gathering Democracy in the raw More columns

Got up early today and hopped a southbound 5th Avenue bus (a cheap $2 and what great city views!) in order to get off at Broadway and 12th Street by 7 a.m. That's where there were early signs of a street protest -- symbolic, peaceful -- aimed at the nation's lousy job situation.

Lousy, say protest organizers People for the American Way and others, because of the most job losses in a president's term since the Depression. Lousy because of outsourcing and because decent-paying jobs have been lost and often replaced with so-so paying jobs that do not come with benefits.

The protest, called The Line, featured people (some lacked jobs, others had lost them in the past and participated in sympathy) in a single line stretching from Wall Street to Madison Square Garden. Each held a pink slip. If you know Manhattan, that's a heck of a long way for a single line to form. Mile after mile. Hard to believe, but I walked that line for blocks and blocks. Hundreds upon hundreds of people in a line. Yep, plenty of support on this issue here in the Big Apple.

To see The Line, once again I had to go by Union Square at Broadway and 14th Street. People were unloading big plastic storage bins off an early morning Ryder rental truck. After observing The Line, I stopped by to see what this other group was up to.

Here is a project called Eyes Wide Open, a Quaker-originated effort to focus the nation's attention on the 978-and-counting deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, as well as the many Iraqis who have died. The project features pairs of empty soldier boots meticulously lined up in rows. Each pair of boots is identified with the name, rank, age and state of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq.

Of the 978 pairs of boots, 41 were there on behalf of Floridians killed. They ranged in age from Lt. Corporal Andrew J. Aviles and Private 1st Class Charles M. Sims, both 18, to Staff Sergeant Wilbert Davis, 40. A reading of all the names of the soldiers, and the Iraqi civilians killed, takes place later this afternoon. The project also appeared Saturday in Central Park.

Pretty moving stuff. This project is on a national tour and can be seen soon in three Florida cities: Oct. 24-25 in Orlando, Oct. 27-28 in Jacksonville; and Oct. 29 in St. Augustine.

Back in midtown, in the land of Republican delegates, two pressing matters dominated the morning. Florida delegates at the Hilton are starting to talk more about the coming threat of Hurricane Frances, the massive Category 4 storm approaching Florida's east coast. At a breakfast gathering at Lindy's, a nearby midtown restaurant, one table of six included folks from New Port Richey who were watching Frances like a hawk.

Another delegate from Orlando said he had bought a 600-watt generator only to find it could not even handle the power needed for his refrigerator. Now he owns a 5,500-watt generator. That's great, except he is in New York at the Hilton. And his wife is back in Orlando. We'll see how much of a distraction Frances becomes later this week.

The other pressing matter? Shopping, of course. The Hilton is home to an entire room of vendors selling convention-related trinkets, buttons, T-shirts, copies of historical documents and many other goodies.

Business is brisk this morning! Buttons generally go for $3 apiece or two for $5.

My favorite? Real ketchup called W (to compete with Heinz, of course). Actual flip-flops (the beach sandal variety) that are called Kerry Flip-Flops for $15. Republican clothing called Dubya Duds. And $15 bobbleheads of President Bush, VP Dick Cheney (showing off a muscled bicep), and a uniformed Colin Powell (who is a conspicuous no-show at this convention).

And who's that guy in the corner signing his book? None other than Michael Reagan, President Reagan's other son.

After a grip-and grin session with enthralled delegates, he breaks away saying he's late and he's got to go before they shoot me.

Whoa! Now there's an off-the-cuff remark we did not expect to hear from a Reagan.

The big question today? Can VP Dick Cheney's speech tonight match the crowd approval given to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last night? Stay tuned.